Crafting tips and tricks and a easy to make children's crafts and home decor

Salt Dough
Great for all kinds of interesting things, All ages

Ice Cream Soda Ornaments
Cute Ornaments for your Christmas Tree!

Blondie's Corner
September/99
------Puppy skunked? Best bet, call groomer!!!!!
Of course white vinegar and the old realible tomato juice baths.
But, take your time and mix up this little concoction and your pup will be as good as new.
1 lg. bottle [quart] of hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda 1tsp. dawn dish detergent.
Apply to pup and rub, rub, rub, being careful to keep it out of the eyes about 10 min. or so,
this can be repeated. After a good scrubbing with this rinse, using hair conditioner is a must because this is very drying. DO NOT save any mixture as it is very reactive. To soothe their eyes flush with saline solution as used for contact lenses, and of course, call vet in case of a scratch or bite as skunks can carry rabies.
AND DON'T LET HIM OR HER OUT ALONE AGAIN!!!
------To clean your cooler after a long summer of use drop in a few tablets of denture cleaner and water, let sit,
then scrub a little and rinse --- old cooler, as good as new.
August/99
Cola!! The Real Thing--Just when you thought you knew everything!
------To clean a toilet!
Pour a can of cola into the toilet bowl. Let the 'real thing' sit for one hour,
then flush clean. The citric acid removes stains from vitreous china!
------To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers!
Rub the bumper with a crumpled piece of aluminum foil dipped in cola.
------To clean corrosion from car terminals!
Pour a can of cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
------To loosen a rusty bolt!
Applying a cloth soaked in cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
------To bake a moist ham!
Empty a can of cola into the baking pan; wrap the ham in aluminum foil and bake.
Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil,
allowing the drippings to mix with the cola for a sumptuous brown gravy.
------To remove grease from clothing!
Empty a can of cola into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent,
and run through a regular cycle. The cola will help loosen the grease stains.
It will also clean road haze from your windshield!!!
Pine Hollow people have not tried any of the above--
WE JUST DRINK THE STUFF AND ENJOY IT!!
JULY/99
------Does anyone have squeaky floors??
Sprinkle talcum powder or drip some glue in the cracks... should help stop that annoying noise!!
------Believe it or Not!
You will increase your light output by 50%
JUST BY DUSTING OFF YOUR LIGHT BULBS!!
Did you know that it is more economical
to use 1 LARGE LIGHT BULB
than several small ones??
For instance, a 100 watt bulb gives as much light
AS 6 - 25 watt bulbs!! AND uses LESS than 2/3rds the power!!!
------Here's a tip for butterfly lovers!
LEAVE SOME WEEDS IN YOUR GARDEN!
Many weeds are important for the butterfly's survival.
The milkweed, for example, is important to the Monarch and Queen
butterflies. They lay their eggs on this plant because,
when the caterpillars eat the leaves
they receive toxins that make them distasteful to their predators.
There are many more weeds that are essential
to the life support of the butterfly!
JUNE/99
------Those darn gnats!
Try this and it's good for the baby too!
1 tbs vanilla
1 cup of water
Aply to skin, even around the eyes.
------My spools of thread and bobbins were all over the drawer!
Sooo, I glued some golf tees to the bottom,
they fit perfectly .. try it!!
------Want to keep your salt dry? Add a few grains of rice in it.
------Buy the cheapest automatic dishwashing detergent
and add some white vinegar to it. Your dishes will sparkle
without spending alot of bucks!
------Ever drop an egg on the floor??
Sprinkle it with salt, it should come up easy!
MAY/99
------Are rabbits eating the tops of your flower bulbs?
Scare the little devils! The are scared to death
of those coiled up RUBBER SNAKES. Put them in
your flower bed but remember they are there,
or you might scare yourself!
------Are you starting to see ants, carpenter ants, roaches or
termites? Use red cedar granules, which you can get at
any good garden center, to kill those pesky little suckers.
Stir the bed to expose the eggs and when the ants come up
sprinkle the red cedar granules all over, about 6 inches out,
all around the bed. They take it down thinking it's
their eggs. The granules mess up their little minds and they
should be gone in 2 days. Sprinkle around the foundation
of your home every now and then!
------Here's one to keep the neighborhood dog out of your garbage.
Add ammonia to the trash before setting it out
the morning of pick up!
------Got a wasp or yellow jacket in your house?
Get your hairspray out! You don't have to get too close
to spray the bee, but once you spray them, the stickiness
prevents them from flying making it easier for you to
spray and squash the critters.
APRIL/99
------KEEP YOUR TV SCREEN DUST FREE!
Use a dryer sheet-spray glass cleaner on the sheet
and wipe the screen clean. The sheet has static guard in it
and will keep the dust from collecting on the tv!
------Use a new coffee filter to clean windows
--they are LINT FREE!
------When walking around your yard or mowing the grass--
wear GOLF SHOES! The spikes help to aeriate the lawn!
------HATE THOSE SLUGS IN THE YARD??
Put beer in a saucer and put outside.
It will attract those nasty slugs to one spot
as opposed to being all over your walks.
MAR/99
------Dedicated newsletter to cleaning and organizing the kitchen cabinets.
Here are just a few items that were listed.
------Do you fumble with the filter box every time you want to make coffee?
Take the filters out of the box and place in a plastic container
for easy access and no more fumbling!
------Do you have trouble getting your hands on the measuring cups
every time you bake?
Place a 1 cup measuring cup in with your flour and sugar
and leave it in the container. Not to mention,
keeping your baking needs all within reach.
------Do you have flour and sugar spilling all over your cabinets?
Get into that habit of putting flour in a tin!
It ends this mess, truly it does
as well as keeping the items fresh!
------Work SMARTER not HARDER!!!
Every step you save allows time for other things...
as if we really want to start another project...right?? :))
FEB/99
A few 'rules of the thumb' to keep in mind when country decorating!
------If an item makes you smile, inside or out, it will fit into your home-- even if you don't think it will match your decor, it will!!
------You can always get a 'homey' feel for your home by using primary colors. They are sunny, happy colors and brighten any day.
------Use special quilts and new rag rugs as 'runners' on table tops, entertainment centers, and quilts can be draped over dividers and on hooks. This adds a country warmth to new, cold items.
------Quart jars can be used as flower vases to add a special touch.
------Those special items that you just love and keep hidden away--BRING THEM OUT!
You should be able to appreciate them. Decorate your home using all the things you love most and you will find that 'homey' comes with them.
------Don't frown on used things from flea markets and house sales. All these items show 'history' and their worn appearance adds a touch of country charm.
No matter what pieces you have, if you love them, they belong!! If they bring back memories or put a smile on your face, use them in your decorating. A home is just what you make it! Surrounding yourself with the treasures you adore will give more comfort and charm than any decoratoring rules!
JAN/99
Just a few ideas to "cozy up" your home!
------Fill baskets, mason jars, and tins with buttons.
------Use a branch for a rustic curtain rod!
------Use purchased papier-mache boxes and decorate with fabrics and buttons.
------Hang small wreaths at the upper corners of your window and drape fabric through. Change to reflect the seasons.
------Fuse a different applique shape onto napkins to reflect the seasons.
------Use raffia for everything! Tie back your curtains, make bows around vases and jars, tie it on the handles of baskets. It will add a country touch to everything, no matter what theme that particular piece belongs to!

DEC/98
Just a few ideas to brighten your holidays!
------Try using fresh cut holly stems for filler in baskets, on shelves, anywhere you wish to throw in a bit of greens!
------Recycle artificial Christmas Trees. Use the limbs to make swags for your outside window boxes or to fill baskets for your porch. It's really simple to do. I would suggest wiring them to a thin board for the window boxes and tieing a bow of any color in the center. They can be saved from year to year.
------Collect leaves from the yard and spray them with metallic gold, copper, or silver paint. Add them to wreaths, show them off in a bowl or basket, or use as accents on shelves, the possibilities are endless.
------Take a walk in the woods. Take along a garbage bag and fill it with "ground pine" (it grows like a vine). When when you get home, use a metal hanger and bend into a circle. Wrap the ground pine around it and secure with wire. You now have a wreath for your front door!
------Use 1/8" metallic ribbon and raffia for your Christmas tree. Tinsel is not one of our favorite things! So, we take a piece of the ribbon, available in all colors, and a piece of raffia. Tie a shoe lace bow with tails. Attach to the tips of the tree limbs for added "country glitz"!
------Have a quart mason jar, a short string of lights, and some potpourri? Put the lights inside the jar, fill with your favorite scented potpourri. Add a crocheted doily over the top of the jar (of course, leaving the end of the lights out to plug in). Once the doily is over the top, secure with a ribbon around the "neck" of the jar. Plug it in and you have yourself an attractive item for any place in your home. It also smells wonderful as the heat from the lights spreads the scent throughout your home. (I have been using mine and no problem with fire, but if you are leary, keep an eye on it. -- Ange)

NOV/98
Through years of crafting, I've come across various tips and helpful ideas. I use all of the following and hope you will find something useful here.
Use them in good health & happy crafting!
------To remove dried acrylic paint from brushes, soak in rubbing alcohol.
------Always use warm water to rinse brushes in. Hot and Cold water makes the paint stick to the bristles.
------After washing brushes, use regular hair conditioner to reshape the bristles. Let dry & rinse again before using (again use warm water)
------After drying moss & flowers, use diluted acrylic paint and spray the color back on! (I use trial size hair spray bottles)
------Save some money & make your own grapevine wreaths and swags! Just soak vines in your bathtub overnight. In the morning, bend them into shape and secure with wire.
------To prevent peeling of appliques from adorned clothing due to washing--(quick fuse appliques and fabric softner do not mix!)--make your fusing material about 1/4" shorter all the way around than your design. Once fused, sew around the edge with a contrasting thread. This will make your clothing projects durable and add to the overall picture or design!

Return to the Current Tips Page Here

CHECKS ~ MONEY ORDERS

View Shopping Cart * Check Out Now

Please sign our GUESTBOOK | Read what others are saying!

Questions? -- Email Linda

Pine Hollow Handcrafts

Pine Hollow Handcrafts
A Cameo Designs Creation